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On June 6, 2019, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the first meeting in FY2019 of the Forum for Consultations between the National and Local Governments, held at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
At the meeting, consultations were conducted on the planning of the Basic Policy and other issues.
 
The Prime Minister said in his opening address,
 
“I express my sincere appreciation to the representatives of the Six Local Government Organizations for your attendance to this meeting. Today’s meeting of the Forum for Consultations between the National and Local Governments is the first meeting in this fiscal year. It is also its inaugural meeting in the new era of Reiwa.
 
The poems on plum blossoms, from which the name ‘Reiwa’ was taken, was written at Dazaifu in Fukuoka Prefecture. Now, it looks like many tourists visit Dazaifu every day and this is providing a major boost to regional revitalization.
 
We certainly must make the era of Reiwa an era for vibrant regions. There will be no revitalization of Japan without vibrant regions. With this determination, we intend to work on various issues that are related to each region, by carefully listening to your voices at this Forum.
 
Today, we will hold discussions, focusing on the Basic Policy, which we will compile this summer. In particular, I would like to hear from you regarding the following areas: the creation of new flow of people to areas outside the major cities, aiming at regional revitalization; the revamping of the tourism industry as well as agricultural, forestry and fishery industries; the capitalization of inbound and outbound opportunities; and the promotion of a digital government, looking ahead to the advent of the Society 5.0 era and the full onset of a declining population.
 
Fully taking into account today’s discussion, the Abe Cabinet will resolutely press forward with the policies for regional revitalization, and I would like to ask for your cooperation in this endeavor.”